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Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Canadian Michael Woods headed to his fifth Tour de France, looking for stage wins
Canadian Michael Woods is headed to his fifth Tour de France, looking for a repeat of 2023 when he won a stage in the storied Grand Tour race. The 38-year-old from Ottawa will ride alongside fellow Canadian Guillaume Boivin in Israel-Premier Tech's eight-man team for the 3,320-kilometre Tour, which runs from July 5 to 27. Advertisement Team sporting director Steve Bauer, who rode in 11 editions of the Tour de France and was the first Canadian to win a stage (in 1988), has high hopes for the team but is realistic about the challenge that lies ahead. "It's simply said, yet difficult to achieve — we want to win a stage," Bauer said in a statement. "We've assembled the best team from our current healthy roster with the aim of achieving this goal. 'It's a common goal for every team, and that's where the challenge lies at the highest level of our sport. We have to be sharp from Day 1 and, in particular, through the first 10 days, we'll analyze how we can have a shot at nearly every stage, because we can't afford to let any opportunities go. We have the riders who can be in the mix to win. Our day-to-day tactics will be very important, along with how we manage the guys.' Woods returns to the race two years after becoming the third Canadian to win a stage on the Tour. Israel-Premier Tech teammate Hugo Houle was the second, winning the 16th stage of the 2022 edition. Advertisement Woods is also the last Israel-Premier Tech rider to win a Grand Tour stage — at the Spanish Vuelta last August. "It's a crazy race and it's the last race on the calendar that I do that scares me — in a good way, but it's such a challenging race," he said. "The level is so high. The risks are so big, but the rewards are so incredible. Winning a stage there in 2023 was the crowning achievement of my career. Given the level of excitement around that win and the support I've received since I achieved it, I can say it changed my life. For all of those reasons, I can say I'm looking forward to returning to the Tour." Woods, an accomplished climber, says he is not targeting the first week. 'Everything from Stage 6 onward I'm excited about," he said. "Don't expect to see me at all during those opening stages. I want to try and stay safe. The only Tour I've won a stage in was the only one I didn't crash in. If I can stay upright in the first week, then there are opportunities in the second and third weeks for stage wins.' Advertisement Woods' best general classification finish at the Tour was 32nd in 2-19. He did not finish the race in 2021 and '22 and was 48th in 2023. Fellow Canadian Derek Gee led Israel Premier-Tech at the Giro d'Italia in June, finishing fourth overall. The 27-year-old from Ottawa was ninth overall in last year's Tour de France but is not on this year's team. The other team members this year are Germany's Pascal Ackermann, Britain's Joe Blackmore and Jake Stewart, France's Matîs Louvel, Kazakhstan's Alexey Lutsenko and Latvia's Krists Neilands. "We have several guys who will have opportunities in the first week. Stages one, two, and three will be intense," said Bauer. "Certainly, Ackie and Jake will be key men, backed up by a solid support group. There could be a couple of potential breakaway stages before the first rest day, too, depending on how the peloton reacts and the race evolves. It will be important for our guys to be ready to go hunting for victories when these opportunities come. Advertisement 'In the high mountains, Mike is our best climber, and he's proven he can win Grand Tour stages. We'll look to keep him out of trouble in the first few days, and then we'll utilize his strengths as we go forward.' For the first time since 2020, the Tour will be held exclusively in France. The 21-stage race features seven flat stages, six hilly stages, six mountain stages (with five mountain finishes) and two time trials. The field includes 184 riders representing 23 teams. The race starts in Lille with a flat 184.9-kilometre stage. --- This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025 Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
The Guardian
07-06-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘I had no idea': Chris Harper happy to share spotlight after Simon Yates banishes Giro d'Italia demons
Australian cyclist Chris Harper is yet to properly soak up the ride of his life and first Grand Tour stage victory by watching a replay of his long-range and daring solo attack over the Colle delle Finestre and up the Sestrière. But the 30-year-old climber won't have to look too hard to find highlights in the future after his ride was a major subplot as the decisive story of the 2025 Giro d'Italia unfolded behind him. Harper arrived in Albania for the opening three stages of the Giro with ambitions to prove himself as a general classification contender. A top-10 placing by the time the three-week race finished in Rome was the realistic goal. But a bout of illness hit the Team Jayco AlUla rider on the second rest day and Harper had to lift himself in the third week just to turn his focus toward chasing a stage win. After working his way into the major breakaways that were all chased down on successive days, Harper thought his race was all but done as the Giro landed in Verrès for the penultimate day and queen's stage with more than 4,500m of climbing over 205km to come. Yet almost by accident, Harper found himself in another break, felt he was on a good day and with a healthy dose of what he calls 'white line fever' set off to conquer one of the most brutal climbs in Italy. Further back, Harper's former teammate Simon Yates, now at Team Visma-Lease a Bike, was dropping Isaac del Toro in the maglia rosa and second-placed Richard Carapaz on the Finestre. As Yates blew the race wide open, his remaining challengers for pink did little more than look at each other, and the former Vuelta a España winner became Harper's main concern. 'I didn't know too much about what was going on behind me, I had no idea,' Harper tells Guardian Australia while enjoying his post-race recovery on Santorini. 'I just knew that Simon was solo and that he was putting quite a bit of time into del Toro and Carapaz. On the Finestre, my sports director said, 'Simon's about five and a half minutes behind,' and then they said, 'Oh, but he's two minutes in front of the other GC guys'. 'In my head I knew he was riding for pink but that also made me more nervous because I knew he was going to push full gas to the line to take as much time as he could. I've seen him on a good day and I know what he can do.' Harper and Yates rode together on Jayco AlUla in 2023 and 2024 with the Australian often his teammate's last support in the mountains, including at last year's Tour de France. Rather than feeling overshadowed by the story of Yates banishing his demons from the 2018 Giro when he cracked on much the same stage as Chris Froome took the maglia rosa away from him, Harper is almost as pleased for his friend as for his own breakthrough triumph. The dual celebrations at the end of stage 20 at Sestrière were a reminder that one of the joys of road cycling can be having more than one winner on the same day. 'I was quite nervous once I pulled away alone, especially when the radio said 'Simon's just caught up with Wout [van Aert] and Wout's chasing now',' Harper says. 'They're pretty calm on the radio but you get a sense from the tone in their voice what's happening, you realise how nervous they are. I knew if I blew up, it would be quite easy for Simon to bring back a lot of time on me. So I just paced myself so I'd have a bit left in the tank for the last two or three kilometres. 'Once I got to the last kilometre, they just said, 'You're going to win it, enjoy it, take a moment'. The Finestra is quite a famous climb so it's definitely a nice one to win. I haven't actually watched the race, so I want to go back and watch it just to see what Simon was doing in the GC group as well. He was my teammate and I worked with him a lot, so it'll be nice to sit down and actually watch the stage, soak it in a bit more as well.' Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion 'I was so happy for Simon and it was nice to see him at the finish line and be able to share that moment together. All of it wrapped up into one nice day. It was like all our bad luck went away at the same time, and it was just the perfect day for both of us. The victory was Harper's first since winning a stage and eventually the general classification at the Tour of Japan in 2019, a year before he joined the world tour for the first time with Team Jumbo-Visma. With a first taste of personal success for six years, Harper wants to chase more stages while continuing to explore what he is capable of on GC again at this year's Vuelta. 'I didn't even think about it,' he says. 'My manager made a joke that I celebrated twice, once before the finish line and then after I crossed the line. I haven't won a lot so I don't have a lot of practice. It didn't hurt to get two celebrations in the one.'
SBS Australia
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
The Italian Redemption : Yates Turns the Giro Tide
The latest episode of the podcast with Christophe Mallet and Dave McKenzie dives into the thrilling final stages of the Giro d'Italia. Macka, stunned by the action, calls it the wildest finish he's ever seen in 20 years of commentary. The hosts spotlight Chris Harper's pivotal stage win and Simon Yates's stunning comeback, calling it a defining moment in his career. In 20 years of commentary, I don't think I've seen anything as crazy as that. Dave McKenzie Tactics take centre stage as the duo analyses team strategies, especially those of UAE Team Emirates, and how key decisions could have shifted the race outcome. The conversation also explores the role of race radios and evolving team dynamics in modern cycling. Del Toro could have won this. 100% Dave McKenzie The episode wraps by looking ahead to the Tour de France, speculating how Giro results might shape strategies for the next Grand Tour.
The Independent
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Isaac del Toro holds firm in battle for pink jersey as Richard Carapaz threatens late Giro d'Italia twist
Nicolas Prodhomme claimed the first Grand Tour stage win of his career when he rode solo to victory on stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia, while Mexico's pink jersey holder Isaac del Toro came second to extend his overall lead. On their penultimate day in the mountains, the riders faced a brutal 166 km ride from Biella to Champoluc with five classified climbs and a total elevation gain of nearly 5,000 metres. Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale's Prodhomme broke free on the fourth climb to take the lead and eventually the victory to become the first Frenchman to win a Giro stage this year. "I've worked a lot for this Giro d'Italia. I didn't want to compete for the GC (general classification), I wanted to try and win a stage. I've waited for long for this win to come," Prodhomme said. "I won my first race three weeks ago (on the Tour of the Alps) but to win at the Giro d'Italia makes me very happy. It's a beautiful day." Prodhomme had attacked with over seven kilometres left to the summit and he quickly put distance between himself and stage 15 winner Carlos Verona and Antonio Tiberi while the group with Del Toro was more than a minute behind. As the general classification battle raged behind him, the 28-year-old pushed ahead and on the home stretch, he emerged through a cloud of pink smoke, holding his helmet in disbelief as he crossed the line to win by nearly a minute. "Our breakaway didn't have a big gap. I didn't feel great when I followed the first attacks. My legs were stiff on the first climb. Kilometre after kilometre, I felt better on the bike," Prodhomme added. "On Col de Joux, I realised that I needed to take risks - otherwise we were going nowhere... Before today I've had two top-five finishes because I don't take a lot of risks. Today I wanted to play for the win." Richard Carapaz, who was second in the general classification, attacked with 6.8 kilometres left but UAE Team Emirates rider Del Toro responded by staying glued to his wheel as they left third-placed Simon Yates behind. Del Toro then beat his closest rival in the sprint to the finish to take second place and remain the firm favourite for the title with two stages left after his other rivals lost 24 seconds or more. Del Toro's lead is now 43 seconds over Carapaz while Yates is a minute and 21 seconds behind in third. "I had the legs to be with Richard... I cannot take more risks but today was incredible," Del Toro said. "Everyone in our country is starting to see how hard cycling is. It's just incredible... I can't believe I'm the guy representing the country!"
The Independent
28-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Isaac del Toro seals first Grand Tour stage win to cement overall lead at Giro d'Italia
Isaac del Toro won stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia to tighten his grip on the pink jersey in the face of more attacks from Richard Carapaz, who moved above Simon Yates into second overall. A day after Carapaz took more than 90 seconds out of his lead to move within 31 seconds of pink, UAE Team Emirates' Del Toro responded with his first career Giro stage win, beating Carapaz to the line in Bormio by four seconds but also picking up another six in bonuses to extend his advantage. It continued a historic Giro for del Toro, who became the first Mexican stage winner at the race in 23 years, and the youngest stage winner this century. 'It's incredible,' del Toro, also the first Mexican to wear pink, said. 'Everybody wants this [to win a stage in the leader's jersey] and today I realised that I will never give up and I will always try, I have nothing to lose. Today was not easier than yesterday but for sure I had a better mentality.' EF Education-EasyPost's Carapaz, the 2019 Giro winner, had tried again to break the 21-year-old Mexican on the Mortirolo, the main climb of the 155km stage from San Michele all'Adige, with an attack near the summit. The Ecuadorian opened up a lead of around 30 seconds on Del Toro and Yates, who started the day 26 seconds off pink in second place, but was caught again by the main favourites after the descent as they approached the short final climb of Le Motte before the descent to the finish. And it was near the summit of Le Motte that Del Toro responded with his own attack, a move that only Carapaz could follow. Riding together down the descent, they caught Romain Bardet - the last survivor of the day's breakaway - and would deny the Frenchman his dream of a Giro stage win to complete his Grand Tour set in his final season as a professional. 'I predicted something like this would happen, of course you don't want to let all the GC guys go,' del Toro said. 'I put a little bit of pressure on the others on the descent and then I tried to relax and recover to do the last kick on the last climb. We made this plan with the team and the team gave me the confidence to try full gas.' With just under two kilometres to go, Del Toro was able to drop Carapaz and hold off the Ecuadorian and Bardet to answer his critics after Tuesday, with the Frenchman taking second place on the stage. Visma-Lease a Bike's Yates finished fourth, 15 seconds down on Del Toro, to drop behind Carapaz in the general classification. Del Toro leads overall by 41 seconds from Carapaz, who now has a 10-second advantage over Yates. Derek Gee is the only other rider within three minutes of pink, fourth at one minute and 57 seconds down.
